Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Assignment #1: Or, that was fast!

I was thrilled at all your suggestions! I made sure to note them down yesterday, as I plan to keep a running list. I'm curious to see how many of these I can fit in one week... As it was, I can technically cross 2 things off that list: waterfronts and one of my favorite places:

This is Hudson River Park, so named, because it sits on the west side of lower Manhattan, right next to the Hudson. I love this place. I love sneaking away to it around noontime, when the sun is intense and gleaming and the wind pushes its salty smell over you.

The shore on the other side is New Jersey, Hoboken to be exact. This is about a 15 minute walk from Battery Park, and so you can see the (itty bitty, in this picture) Statue of Liberty. Actually, I can also see the Statue of Liberty from where I live, in Brooklyn. It's pretty amazing how many different points in New York you can see her from. She looks especially gorgeous at sunrise and at night.

It's odd, being so close to landmarks - you get used to them, and in a certain sense, they lose their splendor. Then, all of a sudden, one day, you remember where you are, and it washes over you how lucky you are to pass by something amazing every day. That's what it's like to live in a city like New York.

I've stood here dozens of times, staring at water taxis and boats passing, leaning on the freshly painted railing, inhaling the fresh, briny smell of the water, feeling my eyes almost singed by the brilliant light on the water.

My quest was rewarded by this glimpse of the first flowers of Spring. Yes, these are literally the very first flowers I've seen blooming anywhere in NYC. And now, you've seen them, too.

I'm not scrapping that list just yet! I'm still thinking of visiting a few more places on this list before the week is up... This is fun! :)

And pssst! If you have an assignment for me for this week leave it at this post! I'll do my best to collect them all... :)

5 comments:

That lucky washed-over feeling you get when you pass something amazing? That's what it's like to live at the base of the Rocky Mountains, here in Colorado! Sometimes I forget there's a fourteener dominating the horizon. I've never been to NYC. I'd love to go, and I'd love a really close up picture of a police horse!! That's my assignment!

sadly, the ribbon store on grand street in williamsburg is gone... the building was even torn down and is on its way to becoming another 'luxury loft building' i believe... it was called K. Trimming and i believe they still have a space deeper in brooklyn, but i'm not sure if it's open for retail business. and if you've never been to Tinsel Trading flor, RUN don't walk!!!